No matter how he looked at it, something was strange.
Hugo seriously analyzed the current situation.
‘All right—let’s think about this objectively. About me, the person named Ha Seung-hun.’
For starters, his current status was that of a guest of the Jegal Clan.
One trusted enough to accompany them all the way to a place like this in order to help the family to whom he was indebted.
‘My realm is at the threshold of the Pinnacle. Considering I’m in my early to mid-twenties, that’s an incredibly high level.’
Even those said to have talent in martial arts usually reached the Pinnacle in their thirties, and if they lacked talent, it was a realm they might never reach in their entire lives. Thinking of that, he could tell just how remarkable it was.
Then was that the cause?
‘…That alone feels a little weak.’
Though extremely rare, the world was vast and geniuses were many, so it was not as if such cases did not exist at all.
Hadn’t the young clan head of the Namgung Clan also reached the same realm in his mid-twenties?
Aside from that, he was also secretly treating the rare illnesses of the Jegal Clan’s precious daughter and the imperial descendant entrusted to Shaolin Temple, but he had been paying considerable attention to security on that front, so word should not have spread already.
Then that reaction really was…
‘I think I’ve been found out, haven’t I?’
On the way to the venue where the opening ceremony of this gathering would be held.
Hugo turned his head slightly away from the sparkling eyes watching him from a short distance away, eyes brimming with anticipation for something, and smiled bitterly.
No matter how he looked at it, that curious gaze was not merely the sort directed at a talented person whose skill was exceptional for his age.
No, if it were only that, he could have thought of it as interest in someone more talented than her own elder brother, but…
‘If that reaction is added to it as well.’
Beside Namgung Soran, who was even now looking at him with an excited gaze as though her head were full of flowers, there was someone restraining her so she could not run wild: the young clan head of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Hwang.
Perhaps because he had been properly educated, befitting the next clan head, he did not show it on the surface and was feigning calm, but he could not deceive Hugo’s senses, whose perceptive ability far exceeded the ordinary Pinnacle level.
‘He’s wary of me. Quite excessively, at that.’
It was not some soft emotion like jealousy toward someone more outstanding than himself, or competitive spirit toward a worthy rival.
Rather, it was closer to the attitude one took when facing a dangerous element whose future actions were impossible to predict.
Watching him remain tense, ready to respond instantly should anything happen at any time and in any place, Hugo could be certain.
They already knew something about him.
‘…It’s not as if I have no idea why.’
Hugo let out a small sigh and recalled a previous encounter.
The Grand Elder of the Namgung Clan, and one of the absolute masters who had made a name for himself in the previous generation.
The Sword Saint, Namgung U—and the moment right after he had faced him, when he had met a gaze that seemed to dissect him down to the last detail.
Since carelessly releasing one’s pressure under the pretext of assessing someone one had just met was a rude act, Hugo had not sensed any particular movement of energy at the time. But considering the difference in level between him and Hugo, it would not be strange if the man had discovered his identity through some method Hugo could not perceive.
Whatever anyone said, wasn’t the other party a warrior of the Profound Realm, a level said to transcend humanity?
‘I was as careful as possible with that in mind, but I guess that alone wasn’t enough against someone in the Profound Realm.’
Since Harley had once identified whether someone was an Awakened through nothing more than a handshake, Hugo had always kept in mind the possibility that a master might see through his identity.
He simply had not expected it to happen in this way…
“Young Master Ha, are you all right? Is something troubling you?”
“Ah, my apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“If you are feeling very unwell, you may return and rest.”
“Hahaha, I could hardly do that on the very first day. Besides, when else would I have the chance to meet such remarkable people if not at a place like this?”
“…There will be plenty of time from now on…”
“Even so, there is such a thing as symbolic significance.”
At Jegal Jung-hyeok’s words, Hugo shook his head and spoke lightly.
In truth, though it was called a gathering, the practical officers of each faction would separately exchange information and discuss important matters; it was not as if everyone would gather in one place for formal talks or a grand banquet.
All it did was provide a place where, for a set period, everyone could interact with those they wished and build friendships.
‘Well, it is an event hosted by a temple in name, so it would be odd to hold something like a party.’
So even the opening ceremony was merely a formal ritual, but this too was a tradition of sorts, so it could not be ignored entirely.
Moreover, since it was the first day, everyone participating in this gathering would assemble in one place. Where could there be a better opportunity to grasp the current state of the martial world?
‘Right. For now, let’s focus on what’s happening here first. It doesn’t seem like the Namgung Clan intends to make my identity public right away, either. …Well, even if it were revealed, it wouldn’t matter all that much.’
Since the Jegal Clan already knew in the first place, there could be no such thing as a perfect secret in this world.
For all he knew, Shaolin Temple might have also gotten a rough idea through this treatment matter.
If he had been worried about that from the start, he would have disguised not only the High Elf Harris, but even the barbarian warrior Harley more thoroughly before entering.
Having rationalized it to himself, Hugo turned his head with a much lighter heart, only for his gaze to meet head-on with Jegal Jung-hyeok, who was looking at him with a strange expression.
The young master of the Jegal Clan flinched as though flustered, then began cautiously watching Hugo’s reaction.
“Is there perhaps something you wish to say?”
When Hugo, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable at the sight, asked first, Jegal Jung-hyeok hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.
“…Um, I was wondering when you became close with Lady Namgung.”
“……”
“No, as far as I know, the two of you didn’t have much of a connection. But since the first day, you suddenly seem so close… Ahem. I don’t mean anything by it. I was simply curious whether something had happened.”
Though Hugo had said little, Jegal Jung-hyeok rambled on by himself, and Hugo’s eyes narrowed.
‘I don’t know either, man.’
For some reason, the young master was growing less and less reliable.
***
As he had first guessed, the opening ceremony ended simply, without anything special.
The leader-level practical officers of each faction conversed among themselves and disappeared somewhere, while those who remained freely wandered within the prepared area and spent time interacting with one another.
They could simply converse, test their strength in the training grounds prepared separately, or, if not that, return to their lodgings and rest.
It was literally a situation where only the place had been provided for the sake of fellowship.
This was a policy decided upon after judging that merely coming to understand one another through various methods would help foster harmony between them.
Of course, since a crowd of people with different ages, temperaments, hobbies, and martial levels had gathered in one place, there was also a chance that friction would instead arise and worsen relations.
Even so, the fact that this gathering had continued despite such side effects meant that it must have produced results surpassing them.
What had played a firm role in that policy was the formation of connections among the rising talents who would become the main pillars of the future order.
“Amitabha. This humble monk is called Gongjin. Once again, I express my gratitude to all benefactors for traveling so far to grace us with your presence.”
“Not at all. If not for something like this, when would we ever be able to visit Shaolin Temple, called the Mount Tai and North Star of the martial world?”
“That is true. Now that I have come out into this vast world and experienced it for myself, I feel ashamed to realize that I have been nothing more than a frog in a well. I think I now understand why the elders of my sect said such things.”
“Hahaha! It’s the same for me. I thought my elder brother was the greatest prodigy in the Central Plains, but my horizons have broadened, you see. Ah, right, I’m Paeng Wonso from the Paeng Clan! Truly pleased to meet you all!”
In this place, where most of those present were mature adults, the number of young rising talents was not very large.
Naturally, they gathered where others of their own age were, and in that way exchanged greetings and familiarized themselves with one another.
“More importantly, it seems the Moyong Clan and the Kunlun Sect are absent after all. I had hoped I might see them at least once on this occasion.”
“Ah! I know about the Moyong Clan’s circumstances. Our Paeng Clan is relatively close to them, so we hear news from time to time. They say that a large band of horse bandits swept through Liaoning this time, so they have no leeway to pay attention to anything else. Hebei is also moving busily in preparation for it.”
“Goodness, the distance is so great that we cannot offer help either. All we can do is pray that they overcome it safely.”
There were some who were acquainted due to their proximity, but since most of them were meeting for the first time, the conversation proceeded cautiously, with due courtesy toward one another.
The Murim Alliance Gathering was an event held roughly every four or five years.
If not for this occasion, those separated by great distances would not have many chances to become acquainted, so all of them took an interest in one another and actively engaged in conversation.
But there was always a crooked one anywhere.
“They must be too busy with barbarians beating each other up out on the borderlands. I’d prefer they keep fighting among themselves and pay no attention to this side from now on.”
At the sudden indifferent voice of a man, silence fell for a moment.
Yet even amid that chilly atmosphere, the source of it all, Dang Hagi of the Sichuan Dang Clan, shamelessly raised his head and looked over the gathering as if to show himself off.
“…Come to think of it, the Beggars’ Union has not come this time either. I heard that during the last gathering, the future union leader came in person.”
“Given the obvious circumstances, would it not be difficult for them?”
“…True, I suppose it cannot be helped.”
The response of those present was to do their best not to react.
Since all of them had been thoroughly instructed by their respective factions not to cause friction, they feared that if they stepped forward carelessly, they might give him something to seize upon.
“Isn’t that a good thing? Even if beggars came, they’d only stink up the place. If you go outside now, beggars are everywhere you look, so what kind of beggars are learning martial arts… Tsk.”
Of course, the immature brat who had been dragged to a place he did not want to attend did not care one whit about such circumstances.
His words and actions were brutally smashing the hopes of his family, who had thought he might change even a little if he went out and experienced the wider world.
Since he had behaved quietly while traveling here with the adults and had shown signs of growth, it would sting all the more like a blow to the back of the head.
‘A classic cliché. It’s exactly a guy like that who causes trouble later.’
Watching the scene quietly from a step away, Hugo stroked his chin with a solemn expression and nodded.
For the first time in a long while, his cliché detector was reacting noisily.
Didn’t it feel as though foreshadowing was being laid down one piece at a time?
‘This makes me uneasy. It feels like something’s about to happen at any moment.’
The main reason he had followed them all the way to this gathering was to collect as much information as possible about the situations and realities of each region on this occasion.
At the same time, he also intended to establish friendly relations with each faction and expand his influence.
But a sudden sense of ill omen began creeping up his ankles, and for some reason, he could not bring himself to move his feet.
His physical realm was not that high, but his mind had already reached an unfathomable level; there was nothing to be gained by ignoring his intuition—
“Young Master Ha! What are you doing here all by yourself!”
Just as he was thinking that.
That unease became reality in the clear voice of Namgung Soran, who approached with a bright expression.
The moment her words ended, the gazes around them all turned toward him at once.
In a place where young talents had gathered, a beautiful woman naturally could not help but become the object of attention, and the men gathered here had also been watching her subtly.
Especially since, in a situation where the proportion of women was already low, she had become the center around which all of them mingled.
They had been unable to bring themselves to approach that social circle of women first and had only been watching for an opportunity to speak to her, yet the Namgung Soran at its center had shown interest in a man first…
‘Ah, damn.’
And among those gazes was that of Dang Hagi, the scoundrel of the Sichuan Dang Clan, who had been diligently drawing aggro until just moments ago.
Hugo let out an inward sigh without realizing it and quietly closed his eyes.
“Ah, right! Young Master, you haven’t introduced yourself to these people yet, have you? This is Heroine Hwangbo Yun of the Hwangbo Clan, and this is from the Emei Sect…”
“N-nice to meet you, Young Hero.”
“Amitabha.”
She took the initiative and introduced the women she had been mingling with until then.
While he was wearing an awkward smile, grateful for the sentiment but wishing she would choose her timing a little better, his eyes suddenly met hers—. ‘Ah, so this was deliberate.’ Her eyes sparkled with interest.
Those obsidian-like, beautiful eyes were filled with a strange goodwill, and with the clear will that she had no intention of letting him stay quietly in the background. ‘Actually, considering my goal, this isn’t bad either.’ In this league of their own, it would not be easy to converse with them as equals on the sole basis of being “a guest retainer of the Zhuge Clan.”
And yet, not only was she, the young lady of a prestigious clan, personally introducing him to her connections, she was even drawing attention to him like this. ‘Yes, using this would be more efficient. This is actually for the best.’ After all, dealing with that spoiled brat who was beginning to rev himself up with a deeply scowling face was not particularly difficult.
Having made up his mind, Hugo smiled gently at those watching him.
“Where did someone like you crawl out from…”
But before Tang Hagi, rebelling against it, could spit out more than a few words.
Murmur, murmur.
—A sudden commotion drifted in from outside.
At the same time, an unexpected message was delivered inside.
“They say they have come from the Kunlun Sect!”
At those words, not only the place where the rising talents had gathered, but the attention of everyone else as well, turned there all at once.
“From Kunlun?”
“Hah, how could they have come all the way here?”
“To cover that distance, they must have paid no small price in sacrifices. Why go that far?”
It was only natural.
The Kunlun Sect was undoubtedly one of the Nine Sects and One Gang, but it was a sect located in Qinghai Province, on the very outskirts of the Central Plains.
Taking even the complicated terrain into account, the distance from the Kunlun Sect to Shaolin Temple was more than ten times the distance from the Zhuge Clan.
When one considered how many battles they had fought just to come here from the Zhuge Clan, one could not help but be astonished.
Moreover, was that place not said to be the front line against the Demonic Cult, where fierce fighting never ceased? ‘Wait.’ Yet the instant Hugo heard that news, the sense of crisis that had been tickling the back of his mind swelled rapidly.
And in the next moment, he realized that he had been gravely mistaken. ‘Why did I think the source of this ill omen was nothing more than friction among the younger generation?’ In truth, their jealousy posed no threat to him whatsoever.
Naturally, no matter what they did, it could hardly bring about a crisis for him, so why would he have felt uneasy because of that? ‘Then this is…’ In other words, the source of the ill omen lay elsewhere.
For example… [“Everyone, prepare for battle! All Arhats, to your positions!”]
A voice imbued with internal energy thundered throughout the temple grounds.
And at the same time.
Kwaaaaang—!
Along with a tremendous explosion that shook the air.
A horrifying amount of demonic energy, enough to make Hugo’s senses run cold, began to rise like a wildfire.